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The Ming Wall Today

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Five hundred years ago, the Great Wall was swarming with soldiers. Today, it is swarming with tourists from China and all over the world. Many of them visit the sections closest to China’s capital city of Beijing. Farther west, much of the wall is in ruins, and fewer tourists go there.

Only about one-third of the original Ming Wall still stands. The rest was buried by sandstorms, eroded away, or fell to plunderers or developers. However, the Chinese government and preservationists worldwide are working to protect this one-of-a-kind man-made wonder. A campaign to restore the wall gained steam in the 1980s. Soon, crowds flocked to explore it.